John frederick duke



(No Mofuel.)

1 J. F. DUKE'.

MANUFAGTURB 0F SBLFIGNITING GAS MEDIUMS. v

,249. Patented Peb. 11,. 1896.

l No. 554

lV/TVSSES;

EEICE..N

PATENT .IOIIN FREDERICK DUKE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

lVi/NUFACTURE OFSELF-IGNITING GAS MEDIUIVIS.

l l l To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FREDERICK DUKE, `lof London, England, have invented certain iew and useful Improvements in the Manu- `jfacture ofMediums .for Igniting Gas by its Own Action, of which the following is aspecitcation. n This invention has reference to mediums l' whereby ordinary coal-gas, (alone or mixed .y with air,) or other gas containing hydrogen, l can be ignited by its own action.

It is Well known that platinum-black or spongy platinum will occlude a` large quantity of oxygen from the air, and that if a stream of hydrogen be directed upon the platinum the chemical combination of the tivo gases takesplace with suicient energy to raise the temperature of the platinum. Attempts have already been made to take ada vantage of this property of platinum by apo burner.

plying it tothe automatic ignition of lighting coal-gas. In these attempts the gas issuing from an ordinary burner has been caused to blow upon the platinum contained in a receptacle so as to warmthis platinum su- `ciently to render incandescent a fine Wire of A.platinum carried from the platinum in the `receptacle to a position Where it comes into contact with the gas as it issues from the This Wire on becoming incandescent ignites the gas. None of these attempts has l proved a practical success.

I have found by experiment that metallic platinum in the very-finely-divided vform known `as platinum-black or platinum` 1L ohr, is the only form of platinum that Will c tuse the combinatioi..` of the coal-gas with its occluded oxygen at `e ordinary temper- .-at.1re with sufficient energy to produce a red v v at or heat sufficient to render incandescent Length of platinum Wire when a current of cold carbureted hydrogen or ordinary illuminating-gas plays upon it. I have also found that after a time the particles or atoms of inmunicated to them by the fiame and by i the platinum-black coalesce because the heat SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,249, dated February 11, 1896.

` Application'iled May 27, 1895. Serial No. 550,778. (No model.)

tion of the coal-gas with the oxygen of the air, at the ordinary temperature, with sufficient rapidity to render the Wire incandescent When a stream of cold carbureted hydro-l gen is passed over or along it.

Now this invention consists in the employ-- ment, for the purpose of automatically igniting gas in the manner above referred to, of a block of porous material of fineporosity in the pores of which platinum-black is con'- tained, so that the particles or atoms of platinum-black are so linely divided as to be effectually prevented from coalescing.

The invention also comprises the method or process of getting particles or atoms of platinum-black into the pores of the block.

For the purpose of my inventionY I take a strong or concentrated solution of a platinumsalt that is soluble in Water, and I immerse therein a block or ypiece of a suitable porous material, so that the block may absorb some of the solution. I iind meerschaum eminently adapted for the purpose. I subject the meerschaum or her material containing the platinum-salt in its pores to the action of a substance Which by causing a chemical re action Will reduce the platinum-salt to the metallic state Without having any chemical action on the material of Which the block is composed, the metallic platinum remaining in the pores in so fmelydivided a form as to contitute platinunrblack.

In carrying out my invention I preferably use a solution of bichloride of platinum, preferably of five cubic centimeters of Water to one ounce of the platinum bichloride, or a weaker solution may be used With repeated immersione and drying. After the meerschaum has absorbed into its pores as much of it as it can take up I subject the meerschaum to the action of carbureted hydrogen, taking care to exclude the atmospheric air, the carbureted hydrogen being preferably dry, gaseous and heated to a suflicient temperature (say about 150O centigrade) to cause its hydrogen to combine With the chlorine of the platinum bichloride and form hydrochloric-acid gas. The platinum is thus reduced Within the pores of the meerschaum to the metallic state known as platinumblack or platinum-mohr. The action of the carbureted hydrogen should be continued IOOl Vburner d.

until hydrochloric acid gas ceases to be evolved.

The accompanying drawings show by way of example and on an enlarged scale how a gas-burner may be fitted with a porous block containing platinum-black, as hereinbefore described, so that when the tap is turned on the gas becomes ignited by its own action in the manner set forth.

' Figure l is an elevation of the burner and of the porous block and its holder attached to the burner. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but with the block and its holder in section; and Fig. is a plan.

a is the burner.

b is the block of porous material.

c is a tube attached to one side of the The block rests upon the upper end of this tube and is secured by the screwcap (l, the tube c and cap (l together constitilting the block-holder.

e is the platinum wire fixed at one end to the inside Of the tube c. It passes through the block b, and its other end is carried above the burner tO the position seen in Fig. S-that is to say, just where the gas and air mix.

rIhe block l) is shown as formed with external furrows. These are for the purpose of offering more surface tO the stream of gas.

The shape of the block and the means of holding it in position may obviously be considerably modified.

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. As a new article of manufacture, a medium for igniting gas by its own action in the manner set forth, said medium consisting' of a block of porous material of ericeedingly line porosity having in its pores vplatinum in the state of platinum-black, whereby the latter is held in so finely divided a condition that its particles are prevented from coalescing.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a medium for igniting gas by its own action in the manner set forth, said medium consisting of a block of meerschaum having in its pores platinum in the state of platinum-black, as distinguished from platinum in an ordinary metallic state.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an automatic gas-lighter comprising a block of porous material having platinum-black within its pores, means holding said block relatively to a gas-tap, and an incandescing wire extending from said blockin position to ignite the gas iiowing from a tap to which the igniter may be connected, whereby when a stream of gas strikes said block said wire will be heated and can ignite the gas.

4. In an automatic gas-lighter, the holder adapted for connection to a gas-burner, in combination with a block of meerschaum having platinum-black within its pores, and a wire heated by said block when a stream of gas contacts withthe latter, and then adapted to ignite such gas, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The process of manufacturing medium* for ignitin g gas by its Own action, which process consists in absorbing a concentrated so lution of a platinum-salt in the pores of a porous material, and then red ucin g the platinum-salt, while in the pores of said material, to the metallic state in a finely-divided form, as platinum-black, substantially as set forth.

6. The process of manufacturing a medium for igniting gas by itsown action, which provmaterial of very ine porosity and then reducing said bichloride of platinum to the metallic state, within the pores of said material, in so finely divided a form as to constitute platinum-black, by subjecting said material to the action of dry carbureted hydrogen, substantially as hereinbefore described.

8. The process of manufacturing a medium for ignitin g gas by its own action, which consists in absorbing a solution of bichloride of platinum in the pores Of a block of meerschaum, and then reducing said bichloride of platinum to the metallic state within the pores of said material, in so finely divided a form as to constitute platinum-black, by subjecting said block to the action of gaseous carbureted hydrogen, substantially-as hereinbefore described.

9. The improved process of manufacturing a medium for igniting gas by its own action, which process consists in absorbing a solution of a platinum-salt in the pores of a block of porous material of fine porosity, and then reducing said salt to platinum-black within the pores of said material by subjecting said block to the action Of a heated carbureted hydrogen, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. The improved process of manufacturing a medium for igniting gas by its own action, which process consists in absorbing a solution of a platinum-salt in the pores of a block of porous material, then drying such solution in said pores, and then reducing said salt in said pores to platinum-black by treating said block with a substance capable of effecting such reduction, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN FREDERICK DUKE.

.lVitnesses l JOHN C. MEWBURN, GEORGE C. BACON. 

